Association of white blood cell subfraction concentration with fitness and fatness.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between fitness, BMI, and neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, basophil, and eosinophil concentrations in apparently healthy, non-smoking men.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 452 men from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study examining the resting concentration of white blood cell subfractions across fitness (maximal METs during a treadmill exercise test) and fatness (BMI) categories after adjusting for age.


RESULTS
Fitness was inversely associated with all WBC subfraction concentrations. After further adjustment for BMI, only total WBC, neutrophil, and basophil concentrations remained significantly associated with fitness. BMI was directly associated with total WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and basophil concentrations and, when fitness was added to the model, only monocytes lost significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Fitness (inversely) and fatness (directly) are associated with WBC subfraction populations.
Johannsen
N M
NM
Department of Preventative Medicine, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
Priest
E L
EL
Dixit
V D
VD
Earnest
C P
CP
Blair
S N
SN
Church
T S
TS
D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*